Accountant&#39;s ruler.



No. 656,4l3. n 4 Patented Aug. 2|, |900.. c. o. maux.

ACCOUNTANTS BULER.

'Application med occ. 2a', 1899.)

(Nu Model.)

m: News PE1-:Hs co, Puo-muws. wAsHmnToN. n. c,

STATES:

'PATENT' ()1rr1cn.n

CHARLES o. MEUX, oFPENs`AooL"A FLORIDA."

AccouNT'ANTs'nULI-:a

i SPECIFIGATIQN forrrng part of Letters Patent No.- 656,413, dated August 21, 1900.

Application ma onorata, 1899. senti no. 734,504. du moan.) l

To a/ZZ whom, t` may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CHARLES O. MEUX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pensacola, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in AccountantsRulers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and-exact description of; the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same. y

This invention has for one object to lessen the work of accountants Ain `footing columns of figures, laying off dollar and cent columns upon blank sheets, and double ruling generally where required.

A further purpose is to insure neat, Auniform, and parallel ruling without requiring the shifting of the ruler from the upper to the lower line or from a vertical line to the ad# jacent paralleling-line.`

Another object is to prevent soiling of the desk, table, papers, fingers, and the like with ink and to guard against misplacement of the pen; also to provide a ruler which will be of valuable assistance in aiding the memory in recalling certain information.

With the foregoing ends in view and such others as may result from the specic formation of the device and which will suggest themselves as the details of the invention are comprehended, the improvement consists of the novel features and characteristic elemental construction which hereinafter will be more fully set forth, illustrated, and finally embodied inthe claims.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof, and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 looking to-` ward the opposite end.

Corresponding and like parts are referred 'to in `the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The ruler .l has alongitudinal slot 2 at a point between its opposite edges and parallel therewith, the directing edges of the ruler being elevated to facilitate inkruling without blotting. The distance of the directing edges of the ruler `bordering upon the slot 2 from the front and rear directing edges will depend upon the character of ruling for which the article is designedand will correspond with the distance between the single and thedouble lines at the foot of debit and credit columns when closing apledger or other account in bookkeeping. i The sole purpose of the slot 2 is to provide a plurality of longi'tudinal directing or ruling edges, so that a number of parallelilines may be formed without shifting the ruler. By using the same edges of the ruler to direct the pen and slanting the latter more or less the distance between the parallel lines may be varied, and bymholding the pen perpendicular or at a given slant the distance between the different sets of lines drawn by means of the same edges will be equal and uniform. It will thus be seen that dollar and cent columns and double lines at the foot of debit and credit columns may be drawn without shifting the ruler. The longitudinal slot 2 is formed nearer the front edge of the ruler, whereby the portion of the ruler in the rear of the slot is wider than the front portion. A longitudinal depression 3 is formed in the top side of the rear portion of the ruler and constitutes a seat or receptacle for the pen when the latter is not in use, thereby preventing soiling of the'desk, papers, fingers, and the like and insuring `having the pen accessible and witlrilnV con venient reach when required for service.

In order to enhance the value ofthe device, it is provided upon its upper and lower faces with tables, lists ofweights, and any matter of general information to the accountant. Upon the lower face or side of the rear portion of the rule appears a table of aliquot parts, a list of commercial weights, and mis# cellaneous tables. The right-hand end of IOO v and their equivalents.

the ruler projects about three inches beyond the adjacent end of the slot 2, as shown at 4, and receives upon its lower face avoirdupois weight, long-ton table, a list of grain and cereals, and the number of pounds of each in a bushel.. Upon the top side of the right-hand end is a table of double discounts These tables and lists may be imprinted upon the body of the ruler by being stamped therein, or may be printed upon strips and aixed thereto, or may be provided in any convenient and economical way. f

The ruler is transversely curved in opposite directions from au intermediate line, the slot 2 being in one portion and the depression in the other part forming the pen-seat 3. The opposite deiiection ot' the ruler results in stitening it longitudinally and elevating the directing or ruling edges. Rests 6 are provided at the ends of the slot 2 and are formed by pressing portions of the material downward. These rests hold the ruling edges formed by the slot 2 sufciently clear of the paper to prevent blotting when ruling with ink. The extension 4 is lett fiat for convenience and facility in reading the matter im-A ruled. In drawing the single line the pen is to rest against the edge of slot 2 and to rule the lower lines the pen is to rest at the lower edge formed by vslot 2. To forrndollar and cent columns, rule rst line of cent-column by placing thepen against the front edge of ruler, and to form the dollar-column place the pen within the slot against the upper edge of ruler to form single line, and the lower edge, formed by slot, to rule the double line.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l. A ruler formed of sheet material transversely curved in opposite directions from an intermediate line, one of the curved portions being longitudinally slotted to form a plurality of directing edges, and rests at the ends of the slot formed by pressing portions of the material downward, substantially as described.

2. A sheet-metal ruler transversely curved inopposite directions from an intermediate line and having one of the curved portions longitudinally slotted' and the hollow side of the other portion forming a pen-rest, rests at the ends of the longitudinal slot formed by pressing portions of the material downward, one end of the ruler being extended beyond the adjacent extremities of the slot and penrest to receive matter upon its top and bottom sides, substantially as described In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES O. MEUX. [L s] Witnesses:

GEO. S. EMERY, C. L. SHINE. 

